1. Chatbots are available around the clock

One of the primary benefits of a chatbot is that it functions 7 days a week for 24 hours a day. AI-powered chatbots are continuously learning from each customer interaction. At any stage, if a chatbot is unable to understand user inputs or is not yet programmed to answer a particular question, it can redirect the customer to human service personnel.

According to SuperOffice, 88% of users expect businesses to reply to their queries in less than an hour, while 30% of them expect an answer in under fifteen minutes. According to one study by the CMO Council, faster response time is a leading attribute of superior customer service.

In today’s highly competitive global market where everyone is looking for instant replies and quick solutions, chatbots are the key to the next stage of customer service.

2. Chatbots can have more conversations

According to one MobileMarketer survey, millennials generally prefer chatbot interactions over human support personnel. This is true in situations such as product research, FAQs regarding brands or services etc. The primary reason for this is that all customers want precise and fast answers. What’s more, they are more open with a chatbot as they know they won’t be judged no matter how absurd, taboo or personal their queries are. Therefore, having a chatbot deployed for your business will help build conversations, increase customer interactions and create a more engaging customer experience overall.

3. Chatbots don’t fall sick

Human personnel are prone to illness or health fluctuations. This means they will not be available to answer customer queries while they cover. As a result, other company personnel are roped in to handle their work or their work is put on hold till they are back. When you implement a chatbot for your business, it gives your human personnel more free time by easing up their workload. They won’t be loaded with work and if they do get sick, the chatbot can cover a significant portion of their work.

Additionally, there is the added variable of human moods. Sometimes, employees can be angry, upset or generally low, resulting in less patience with difficult customers. This can negatively impact your customer’s brand experience and the quality of customer service you provide. According to one report by Microsoft, about 56% of customers around the world have stopped interacting with or purchasing from businesses because their customer support experience was poor.

Chatbots eliminate the human mood element from the equation altogether and can take on customer queries anytime, anywhere.

4. Chatbots gather and analyse customer information

Once you implement a chatbot for your business, you can easily generate global reports to tell you how customers are interacting with your chatbot and business. This gives you information like the most frequent requests, the time of day when queries are the highest etc. This information will further help you in analysing your customer behaviour and existing strategies, modifying your chatbot’s behaviour and thus enhancing the overall customer experience.

Data from customer conversations provide great insights into your chatbot’s performance. A higher engagement rate means your chatbot is functioning optimally, fulfilling its objective of helping customers resolve problems.

5. Chatbots can personalise conversations with users and customers

We’ve established that chatbots gather data through customer input analysis. Using this data, businesses can adapt user conversations to individual user needs based on several factors such as their language, nature of the request, frequent orders etc. The simplest example is how chatbots use individual customers’ names while addressing queries. More advanced chatbots can personalise their interactions even further, making a more engaging and natural experience for customers.

6. Chatbots help in workflow and process automation

Chatbots are no longer yes/no answering machines. They can be integrated with various applications and websites, allowing them to answer more customer queries and tackle even complex requests. They also automate tedious and repetitive operations such as sign-up emails, post-purchase feedback messages, frequently asked questions and others. When a chatbot is integrated with an e-commerce portal, they also allow payment process automation.

A chatbot is the best way to automate your business and improve the quality of customer support and brand interactions. No matter which industry you work in, a chatbot can take you to new heights. Make sure you choose a credible and reliable partner to help you implement a chatbot business model.